Vent-type bottle closure



Feb. 20, 1951 A, w, wElDNER 2,542,741

VENT-TYPE` BOTTLE CLOSURE Filed March 26, 1949 a woe/nm ARTHLR W. WEDNER Patented Feb. 20, 41951 snm VENT-TYPE BOTTLE CLOSURE Arthur W. Weidner, York, Pa., assignor to Arm'- strong Cork Company, Lancaster, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 26, 1949, Serial No. 83,555

(Cl. 21S-56) 11 Claims. 1

This invention relates to the art of sealing containers and more particularly to a closure which will effectively seal a container against leakage of liquids but which will vent gases developed within the container upon the attainment of a predetermined pressure therewithin. The invention also relates to a novel closure liner which will provide for such venting when positioned between a closure shell and a container lip.

In the sealing of hypochlorite bleaches and the like in glass bottles, it is desirable to provide for the venting of gases which develop within the container upon storage. Without venting, containers of such solutions may develop pressures in excess of those which the ordinary glass bottle will withstand and serious injuries have resulted from the explosion of glass bottles in the hands of housewives. Another problem arises through loss of the container contents when the closure is removed from a container under substantial gas pressure.

There are two general types of venting closures on the market at the present time. One is a metal closure with a plurality of spaced depressions in the top of the closure shell, with a sealing liner positioned against the head of the closure. Such a closure in use provides for the elevation of the liner into the areas between the spaced depressions in the top of the closure upon the development of pressure Within the container and venting is thus permitted. The other type is similar in principle, but the cap is molded of plastic material and is provided with undercut portions into which the liner may be deformed to effect venting. These closures, in each instance, require a special shell. The entire liner must be deformed to vent the gas from the container.

An object of the invention is to provide a venting type closure employing a standard closure shell.

Another object of the invention is to provide a venting type closure in which venting may be accomplished by deformation of a thin diaphragm like member. Thus venting at low pressures may be accomplished and resealing effected.

A further object of my invention is to provide a venting type liner which may be inserted into a closure of standard size, regardless of source of manufacture, and will perform its venting function acceptably.

An additional object is to provide a closure liner for venting type closures which will successfully vent at reasonably low pressures even though the closure be drawn down unusually tight on the container by the application of max- 2 imum torque by the closure-applying device or by the housewife in resealing, the liner providing channels even under such conditions for the egress of gas upon development of pressure withy in the container.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a closure shell with a liner inserted;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along a plane at right angles to the plane of Figure 1 showing the closure disposed in normal sealing position upon a bottle;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the sealing liner of this invention; and v Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a modified liner.

Referring first to Figure 1, there is shown a molded closure shell 2 and a sealing liner 3. The shell includes a top 4 and a depending annular skirt 5 which is provided with screw threads 6.

The liner is of laminated construction and the preferred structure is made up of a backing layer` l which may be of pulpboard about .030" thick. This backing may be eliminated where a cheap construction is of paramount importance. There is adhesively joined to the backing layer 1 an intermediate layer 8 which is of corrugated construction, providing a plurality of substantially flat surfaces 9 and I0 and intermediate open spaces or channels Il and l2. This layer may be formed of paper or pulpboard about .006l thick. If the upstanding flutes or ribs tend to `be rigid, it is preferred to crush them and thus increase their yieldability. This is preferably accomplished by pressing the laminated backing layer l and intermediate layer 8, either between the platens of a fiat press or between a pair of squeeze rolls. Flat pressing tends to produce an intermediate layer structure as shown in Figure 3, and rolling, a structure as shown in Figure 4. This pressing may be accomplished after the joining of a facing layer I3 to the assembly, however, or may be omitted. This intermediate layer may be formed of other materials than paper. For eX- ample, resilient plastic materials may be formed with flutes, or vulcanized rubber or synthetic rubber may be molded to the same or an equivalent cross-sectional shape and about .010 thick in the wall.

The facing layer I3 is preferably quite thin and is of a material which will not be deleteriously ailected by the container contents. A facing of vinyl resin applied to a sulflte paper carrier, the composite sheet being in the order of .005" thick, serves well for hypochlorlte bleach solutions. Thin sneet rubber or synthetic rubber, varnished paper, and other flexible sheet materials may also be used, depending upon the materials to be sealed. The choice of a facing material will be dictated largely by the nature of the product to be packaged. In the fabrication of the liner, large sheets can be laminated, and from these sheets the liner disks can be punched.

The facing I3 fully bridges the channels II and I2 and provides a diaphragmlike member which may be deformed into the channels II and I2 upon development of pressure within the container.

The modified liner shown in Figure 4 includes a backing layer Il and an intermediate layer Il, each of which may be formed of paper or paperboard, the same as the liner of the other views. In this embodiment the flutes I6V have been broken down by passing the composite backing and intermediate layers between squeeze rolls. There are thus provided inclined risers I1 and I3 and intermediate channels Il and 20. A facing 2I is provided which in the embodiment shown is of synthetic rubber and is somewhat thicker than tne facing I3 of the other views. A butadiene-acrylonitrile vulcanized synthetic rubber sheet about .020" thick will be ideally suited for hypochlorite solutions.

In Figure 2 tnere is shown a closure 2 with its sealing liner 3 positioned in sealing relationship with a. glass container 22 which includes a sealing lip 23 and a screw thread formation 24, complementary to the threaded formation 6 of the closure shell. It will be observed that the liner 3 is compressed at the area in contact with the bottle'lip 23 and that the sealing layer I3 closely conforms to the contour of the lip 23 to seal the container against leakage of liquid from the container. As mentioned above, the section shown in Figure 2 is taken at right angles to the section shown in Figure 1 and thus the channels II and I2 which are seen in Figure 1 extend across the diameter of the closure in Figure 2. and only one of them, numbered I I in Figure 2, is seen in that illustration.

By reference to Figure 3 in conjunction with Figure 2, it will be observed that, when the closure is screwed down onto the neck of the container, the lip 23 of the container is brought into engagement with the liner 3, and the liner is compressed in a narrow annular zone as shown in Figure 2. This causes the intermediate layer I to be deformed, with the flute portions overlapping in a featherlike formation. This reduces the width of the channels II and I2, but does not close them. Thus, the facing I3 at the lip 23 is supported throughout the major portion of its extent by the compressed and flattened flutes, but a plurality of narrow channels remain into which the facing may be deformed to effect ventbe deflected into one or more of the channels Il and I2 at one or more spaced points about the sealing lip; and the entrapped gas will be permitted to escape over the lip and then outwardly between tne screw threads 6 and I6 on the closure shell and bottle neck. A gas tight seal is never secured between the complementary threads.v Upon release of gaseous pressure, the facing diaphragm I3 will return to its normal position, sealing the container against liquid leakage under normal pressure conditions.

It is preferred to have the facing I3 and the corrugations of the intermediate layer 8 so constructed and arranged that venting will occur when the gaseous pressure reaches about 2 to 10 pounds per square inch above atmospheric pressure. '.Lhis is well within the safe limits of internal pressure for normally manufactured glass bottles. The attainment of venting at low pressure with an acceptable liquid seal is effected by the provision of a hner in which only a diaphragmlike facing layer needs to be distorted to Y effect venting while sealing is accomplished by ing. Where the backing I and facing 8 are formed of calendered paper which resists indentation to a substantial degree, the flutes will not be excessively embedded into the backing layer; and even though excessive turning torque be applied in seating the closure upon the container, good venting characteristics will be obtained.

Upon development of gaseous pressure within the container Il, the facing diaphragm I3 will a relatively thick cushioning unit consisting essentiaily of the corrugated intermediate layer 3 with or without the backing layer 1.

'lhe pressure at which venting will occur can be controlled Within a relatively narrow range by proper seiection of tne facing material--a thicker, less resilient facing will normally require more pressure than a thinner, highly resilient facingand the height oi the flutes. Higher nutes will, when compressed, provide narrower channels into which the facing must be deformed in venting, and a higher pressure will normally be required as the channels decrease in width.

The liner shown in Figure 4 is of generally similar construction to that of the other views and performs in a similar manner.

A molded closure shell has been shown in -the drawings but metal and other shells may be employed. If desired the liner may be adhesively secured to the shell or it may be friction-fitted therein.

While there has been illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that the same is not limited thereto, but may be otherwise practiced within the scope of the following claims. v

I claim: Y

1. A venting type bottle closure comprising a closure shell and a sealing liner disposed within the shell, said shell including a top and a depending skirt for engagement with a receptacle to be sealed,said liner including a facing for sealing engagement with the lip of the receptacle to be sealed and a discontinuous support for said facing comprising a plurality of closely spaced projections extending completely from edge to edge of the facing to effectively support the same throughout the major portion of its extent for sealing relationship with the lip of the receptacle to be sealed and providing therebetween a plurality of narrow, open-ended, downwardly facing channels extending uninterruptedly from edge to edge of the liner, said facing comprising an exposed thin diaphragmlike flexible sealing material deformable into said channels upon development of a pressure of about 2"to 10 pounds per square inch above atmospheric pressure within the receptacle to be sealed to effect venting thereof.

2. A venting type bottle closure comprising a closure shell and a sealing liner disposed within the shell, said shell including a top and a depending skirt for engagement with a receptacle to be sealed, said liner including a yieldable backing layer, a facing for sealing engagement with the lip of the receptacle to be sealed, and a discontinuous support for said facing comprising a plurality of closely spaced projections extending completely from edge to edge of the facing to effectively support the saine throughout the `major portion of its extent for sealing relationship with the lip of the receptacle to be sealed and providing therebetween a plurality of narrow, open-ended, downwardly facing channels extending uninterruptedly from edge to edge of the liner, said facing comprising an exposed thin diaphragmlike flexible sealing material deformable into said channels upon development of a pressure of about 2 to 10 pounds per square inch above atmospheric pressure within the receptacle to be sealed to effect venting thereof.

3. A venting type bottle closure comprising a closure shell and a sealing liner disposed Within the shell, said shell including a top and a depending skirt for engagement with the receptacle to be sealed', said liner including a facing for sealing engagement with the lip of the receptacle to be sealed and a discontinuous support for said facing comprising a fiuted membrane of yieldable material, the flutes of which are readily deformable upon the application of pressure and extend completely from edge to edge of the facing to effectively support the same throughout the major portion of its extent for sealing relationship with the lip of the receptacle to be sealed and providing therebetween a plurality of narrow, open-ended, downwardly facing channels extending uninterruptedly from edge to edge of the liner, said facing comprising an exposed thin diaphragmlike flexible sealing material deformable into said channels upon development of a pressure of about 2 to 10 pounds per square inch above atmospheric pressure within the receptacle to be sealed to effect venting thereof.

4. A venting type bottle closure comprising a closure shell and a sealing liner disposed within the shell, said shell including a top and a depending skirt for engagement with the receptacle to be sealed, said liner including a yieldable backing layer lying in engagement with the head of the closure shell, a facing for sealing engagement with the lip of the receptacle to be sealed, and an intermediate discontinuous support for said facing comprising a layer of fluted paper adhesively secured to the backing layer and providing a plurality of closely spaced projections extending completely from edge to edge of the facing to effectively support the saine throughout the major portion of its extent for sealing relationship with the lip of the receptacle to be sealed and providing therebetween a plurality of narrow, open-ended, downwardly facing channels extending uninterruptedly from edge to edge of the liner, said facing comprising an exposed thin diaphragmlike flexible sealing material deformable into said channels upon development of a pressure of about 2 to 10 pounds per square inch above atmospheric pressure within the receptacle to be sealed to effect venting thereof.

5. A venting liner for closures and the like comprising a facing for sealing engagement with the lip of the receptacle to be sealed and a discontinuous support; for said facing comprising a plurality of closely spaced projections extending completely from edge to edge of the facing to effectively support the same throughout the major portion of its extent for sealing relationship with the lip of the receptacle to be sealed and providing therebetween a plurality of narrow, open-ended, downwardly facing channels extending uninterruptedly from edge to edge of the liner, said facing comprising an exposed thin diaphragmllke flexible sealing material deformable into said channels upon development of a pressure of about 2 to 10 pounds per square inch above atmospheric pressure within the receptacle to be sealed to effect venting thereof.

6. A venting linerA for closures and the like comprising a yieldable backing layer, a facing for sealing engagement with the lip of the receptacle to be sealed, and an intermediate discontinuous support for said facing comprising a plurality of closely spaced projections extending completely from edge to edge of the facing to effectively support the same throughout the major portion of its extent for sealing relationship with the lip of the receptacle to be sealed and providing therebetween a plurality of narrow, open-ended, downwardly facing channels extending uninterruptedly from edge to edge of the liner, said facing comprising an exposed thin diaphragmlike flexible sealing material deformable into Said channels upon development or a pressure of about 2 to 10 pounds per square inch above atmospheric pressure within the receptacle to be sealed to enect venting thereof.

7. A venting imer for closures and the like comprising a packing layer o1' yielaanie pressed paper, a Iacmg for sealing engagement with the lip of the receptacle to be sealed, and an intermediate discontinuous support Ior said facing comprising a layer of corrugated paper adhesively secured to the backing layer and Joined to the facing layer and providing a piuraiity of closely spaced projections extending completely from edge to edge of the facing to effectively support the same throughout the major portion of its extent for sealing relationship with the lip of the receptacle to be sealed and providing therebetween a plurality of narrow, open-ended, downwardly facing channels extending uninterruptedly from edge to edge of the liner, said facing coniprising an exposed thin diaphragmlike iexible sealing material deformable into said channels upon development of a pressure of about 2 to 10 pounds per square inch above atmospheric pressure within the receptacle to be sealed to effect venting thereof.

8. A sealed container comprising a bottle having a sealing lip and a closure disposed on said container including a venting liner lying in engagement with said sealing lip with the outer peripheral portion of said sealing liner being deformed and in compressed condition, said liner comprising a facing and a discontinuous support for said facing comprising a plurality of closely spaced projections extending completely from edge to edge of the facing to effectively supportthe same throughout the major portion of its extent in sealing relationship with the lip of the receptacle and providing therebetween a plurality of narrow, open-ended, downwardly facing channels extending uninterruptedly from edge to edge of the liner, said facing comprising an exposed thin diaphragmlike flexible sealing material deformable into said channels upon development of a pressure of about 2 to 10 pounds per square inch above atmospheric pressure Within the receptacle to effect venting thereof.

9. A sealed container comprising a glass bottle having a screw-threaded neck and a sealing 11p;

a closure shell secured to said container comprising a top and a depending screw-threaded skirt f engaged Wln the SCI'CW meQS 011 the 601358.11161;

and a venting liner interposed between the container lip and said closure shell, said venting liner comprising a backing layer of yieldable material, a facing in sealing engagement with the lip of the receptacle, and an intermediate discontinuous support for said facing comprising a layer of corrugated paper providing a plurality of closely spaced proJections extending completely from edge to edge of the facing to eifectively support the same throughout the major portion of itsextent in sealing relationship with the lip of the receptacle and providing therebetween a plurality of narrow, open-ended, downwardly facing channels extending unnterruptedly from edge to edge of the liner, said facing comprising an exposed thin diaphragmlike flexible sealing material deformable into said channels upon development of a, pressure of about 2 to l0 pounds per square inch above atmospheric pressure within the receptacle to effect venting thereof.

10. A venting liner for closures and the like comprising a facing for sealing engagement with the lip of the receptacle to be sealed and a discontinuous support for said facing comprising a. layer of corrugated paper, the flutes of which are disposed in overlapping relationship and provide a plurality of closely spaced projections extending completely from edge to edge of the facing to effectively support the same throughout the major portion of its extent for sealing relationship with the lip of the receptacle to be sealed and providing therebetween a plurality of narrow, open-ended, downwardly facing channels extending uninterruptedly from edge to edge of the liner, said facing comprising an exposed thin diaphragmlike iiexible sealing material deformable into said channels upon development of a pressure of about 2 to 10 pounds per square inch above atmospheric pressure within the receptacle to be sealed w effect venting thereof.

11. A venting liner for closures and the like comprising a facing for sealing engagement with the lip of the receptacle to be sealed and a discontinuous support for said facing comprising a layer of corrugated paper, the flutes of which are inclined and disposed in overlapping relationship and provide a. plurality of closely spaced projections extending completely from edge to edge of the facing to effectively support the same th.oughout the major portion of its extent for sealing relationship with the lip of the receptacle to be sealed and providing therebetween a plurality of narrow, open-ended, downwardly facing channels extending uninterruptedly from edge to edge of the liner, said facing comprising an exposed thin diaphragmlike flexible sealing material deformable into said channels upon development of a pressure of about 2 to 10 pounds per square inch above atmospheric pressure within the receptacle to be sealed to eifect venting thereof.

ARTHUR W. WEIDNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,230,594 Neumann June 19, 1917 2,235,101 Enkur Mar. 18. 1941 2,265,862 Rosentreter Dec. 9, 1941 

